Purple Sweet Potato Dumpling (Tang Yuan)

 18 Responses »
Jan 192012
 
Purple Sweet Potato Dumpling (Tang Yuan)

Sweet rice dumplings, or Tang Yuan, is a traditional Chinese sweet dessert that is similar to the Japanese mochi in appearance. Like mochi, Tang Yuan is made out of glutinous rice flour and water to form a smooth al-dente dough which is rolled into round balls. While mochi is typically served dry, Tang Yuan is always served moist with a sweet gingery syrup. Tang Yuan is also never filled with ice cream like some versions of mochi. Instead, Tang Yuan is typically filled with a sweet delectable [Read More ...]

Burdock Daikon Carrot Pork Soup

 6 Responses »
Oct 182011
 
Burdock Daikon Carrot Pork Soup

It has been a while since I last made a soup with Burdock Root, 牛蒡 (also called Gobo or just Burdock).  While this root is literally the foundation for a common weed that some find pesky, burdock root is known in several Asian food cultures to have cancer fighting abilities and health benefits.  Europeans have also used this [Read More...]

Pumpkin Carrot and Corn Pork Soup

 9 Responses »
Sep 282011
 
Pumpkin Carrot and Corn Pork Soup

If you like Japanese kabocha pumpkin like I do, this is the best time of the year to enjoy them.  Although kabocha pumpkins are available year-round, they are at their best now in the late summer / early fall season.  When picking a kabocha pumpkin, look for ones with a dark green skin and a dry corky [Read More...]

Bok Choy Fish Head Tofu Soup

 8 Responses »
Sep 102011
 
Bok Choy Fish Head Tofu Soup

Fish head soup had not always been a favorite of mine. I even thought it was gross when I was younger, making remarks like “Eeeww! Fish heads are so nasty looking.”  Granted, a fish head was not the most aesthetically pleasing sight when it comes to food, whether live or cooked. And even though the best part [Read More...]

Radish Daikon and Carrot Pork Soup

 6 Responses »
Aug 262011
 
Radish Daikon and Carrot Pork Soup

  This is a classic soup I grew up with. It is in fact a soup that my mother still makes routinely from time to time throughout the year. In the fall and winter months though, this soup would be found in my mother’s soup pot more frequently, as those would be the months when the radish [Read More...]

Chinese Yam and Goji Pumpkin Pork Soup

 13 Responses »
May 252011
 
Chinese Yam and Goji Pumpkin Pork Soup

  This easy-to-make soup recipe is both remarkably delightful to the palette and nutritiously beneficial for our health.  My mother made this Chinese Yam and Goji Pumpkin Pork Soup for the family one evening and it quickly became the highlight of that dinner.  We love this soup from Mom, and I hope you will enjoy her recipe [Read More...]

Water Chestnut Bean Curd Barley Soup

 4 Responses »
Apr 282011
 
Water Chestnut Bean Curd Barley Soup

  Thinking back to the classic Chinese soups I grew up with at home, one of my favorites is this Water Chestnut Bean Curd Barley Soup.  This has been a favorite of mine since I was a little kid.  I love the aroma, sweetness, and meaty bite that shiitake mushrooms provide.  I also love the soft, silky [Read More...]

Daikon Tofu Dried Oyster Pork Soup

 No Responses »
Apr 102011
 
Daikon Tofu Dried Oyster Pork Soup

With Spring already here, the winter root vegetables and squashes are at a tail end of their seasonality.  And one of my favorite winter vegetables, daikon, will soon disappear in the supermarkets until the next winter season.  So while I can still find them, I decided to purchase some and make my last daikon soup until the [Read More...]

Mixed Beans Potato Vegetable Soup

 1 Response »
Mar 232011
 
Mixed Beans Potato Vegetable Soup

  My husband and I were at our local farmer’s market today.  And we (ok, more like me) indulged on a shopping spree of irresistibly fresh, colorful, and sweet-smelling organic seasonal fruits and vegetables.  The produce at the market were so fresh.  The vegetable leaves were thick and of a deep vibrant green.  They looked so good [Read More...]

Shiitake Carrot Lotus Seed Soup

 1 Response »
Mar 202011
 
Shiitake Carrot Lotus Seed Soup

  Today, March 20th, is equinox day and marks the first day of Spring in 2011 for those living in the Northern Hemisphere.  This means the sun’s center is directly over the earth’s equator, giving us days and nights that are roughly equal in length. To welcome the coming of Spring, I wanted to make a delicious [Read More...]

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